Page 3

CHAPTER 3

Reba

The horses were gorgeous. Although if you asked me, every horse was. There was something special about caring for an animal that loved so hard, whose loyalty transcended everything else. Even wild horses were loyal to those around them. I always hated the term breaking a horse. I didn’t break them. I taught them how having their own human can make life better for them. The horses here at Jagger’s were young, wild, and amazing.

“Can I spend some time with them today?” Johnny asked.

“Of course.”

“I don’t know how much time you have on your hands, but from what Jagger says, it may be a few weeks before you could even load them up.”

“I’m in no rush to go anywhere,” I assured him.

“Jax and I can stay. I would need to figure out a way to get his school lessons in though. We are still homeschooling since we travel so much, but I didn’t bring anything with me.”

I looked over at Jax chasing Moira and Jagger’s twins around the yard and my heart swelled. He was such an amazing kid. Granted, he was growing up in a world that required flexibility. Johnny’s work at the ranch was complicated and even though he’d retired from bull riding, he still traveled for the rodeos with some of the guys. Jax was always with him and for that, I adored them both.

“I can help with that,” I said, turning to Johnny. “It’s still spring and I’m sure we can pull up what he’s been working on and what he still needs to get finished up.”

“I think the hardest part is going to be pulling him away from the kids when it’s time to go,” Johnny said with a laugh as Jax tripped over his own feet and landed face first in the grass with the toddlers climbing all over him, all three laughing in glee. “He does like it here. We don’t have many kids on our ranch. Just Mac and Athena’s, but they still spend a lot of time in the city.”

I nodded, refocusing on the horses. Memories of Serenity and hearing how much has changed made something ache deep inside me.

“I’m going to get started with them,” I said as I unlatched the gate.

“I don’t need to tell you to be careful but be careful. Jagger said on the phone they managed to get them here because the dark brown one was hurt and the others wouldn’t leave her. They were able to get her leg cared for, but since she started feeling better, she’s been just as standoffish as the others.”

“I understand.” I went to push the gate closed just as Johnny stuck his boot in the way. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m not letting you go in there alone.”

“You will scare them off,” I said as I pushed harder against the gate, secretly hoping the steel toes in his boots gave out.

“Me? You are the one always throwing around I-hate-life vibes.”

“I don’t hate life.”

“Could have fooled me.”

Jagger hollered from where he was in the yard, “Moira and I will watch Jax while you both are out there. I’m sure she will work up some lunch, so we will get him fed. No need to rush back.”

“Thanks, Jagger, we shouldn’t be too long today.”

The wind kicked up, stirring the scent of hay, horses, and the lingering trace of Johnny’s cologne. Damn him. Even standing a few feet away, he invaded my space like he had a right to be there. My irritation rose at the thought that Mac didn’t trust me to size up these girls on my own but had sent Johnny, knowing damn well how complicated our relationship was.

It had been Mac who’d found me crying like an idiot the morning after everything happened. He was the one who’d convinced me to move forward and not look back. Johnny had been a mess back then and, if I’m honest, I hadn’t been much better. But it felt like ever since, Mac would push us together any chance he had.

“I don’t need you babysitting me,” I said, still watching the horses, pretending like his presence didn’t send something warm and dangerous through my chest.

Johnny stepped up beside me. “Not babysitting. Supervising.”

I turned my head. “Same thing.”

His lips twitched, and for a moment, I thought he might actually smile, but he didn’t. Instead, he came even closer, mirroring my stance. His shoulder brushed mine, the brief contact sparking heat across my skin. I looked over at him, wondering if our touch had the same effect on him as it did me. If it did, I had no idea how, because he looked as if nothing could affect him. Johnny was always the sweet and kind one, but he still acted as if everything rolled off his tough skin. Everything but Jax; you could always tell how much his son affected him and that was one of the many reasons I couldn’t stay away from him.

“I don’t like the idea of you in here alone. Make sure you don’t come by without me,” he said, voice low and even, but there was an edge to it, something protective that made my stomach twist.

I forced myself to focus on the horses instead of the way his voice curled around me like a lariat, threatening to pull me in. The dark brown mare that Jagger had mentioned lifted her head, ears flicking toward us. She was beautiful, proud, and untamed.

She was everything I wanted to be.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, straightening. “I’ve been working with horses longer than you’ve been wearing that smug expression. They trust me, so you should too.”

Johnny chuckled, but it didn’t sound entirely amused. “Smug expression? You wound me, darlin’.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course that’s all he would take from my comment. I took a step into the oncoming wind and the horses skittered a few steps away, their muscles tense, nostrils flaring as they tested the air. I stayed still, giving them time to adjust to my scent.

Johnny followed a second later, sneaking up beside me with the quiet grace of a man who’d spent his life working with animals. He didn’t say anything, just stood there, waiting.

“You know, you don’t have to prove anything to me,” he murmured.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

His gaze was steady, unreadable. “It means you don’t have to do everything alone, Reba. You don’t always have to be the one holding the reins.”

The words struck something deep inside me, something I didn’t want to acknowledge. Because the truth was, I did hold the reins tight. Letting go meant getting hurt, and I’d learned my lesson the hard way. I looked back at the horses instead of answering, focusing on the dark mare. She was still watching me, head high, eyes sharp. I took a slow step forward, keeping my movements calm, measured. Johnny didn’t move. Just let me work, let me do what I was good at. That was the thing about him. He might push, but he never tried to take control where it wasn’t needed. And damn if that wasn’t the most infuriating and attractive thing about him. The mare snorted, shifting her weight, muscles twitching under her sleek coat. I dropped my gaze to something less threatening, allowing her to be the leader she was. After a long moment, she took a hesitant step closer, testing the air between us.

“There you go, sweetheart,” I whispered, extending my fingers just enough to let her catch my scent again.

Johnny was silent beside me, but I could feel his eyes on me, tracking my every movement. After a few more heartbeats, the mare stretched her nose forward, nostrils flaring as she took me in. The trust was barely there, but it was a start.

“You really are somethin’ else,” Johnny said, in a voice so quiet I almost didn’t hear it with the wind blowing around us.

I swallowed, fighting the ridiculous rush of heat that climbed my throat. “It’s just patience.”

He huffed out a breath. “Not just with the horse.”

I turned my head slightly, just enough to see him watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite decipher. There was admiration there, sure, but something else too. Something heavier. For the first time in a long time, I felt dangerously close to letting my grip slip, just a little. I turned back to the mare, pushing the feeling down. Because letting go? That had never been safe. And with Johnny? It felt damn near impossible. I’d made that mistake once in my life. I wasn’t ready to make it again.

I took another step forward, choosing the wild horse over the man next to me, and she scared off. I watched as she turned and ran toward the furthest point of their enclosure with the other three horses close behind her. It was clear they had an established pecking order. If I won her over, I might stand a chance with the others. If I didn’t, there was no way we could tame any of them. I respected that about horses. They required trust before they would allow a human in their space. Some people worked with horses bred to help humans. I preferred the ones who needed it but didn’t know it yet, and the gorgeous beast in front of me was one of those horses. One that needed me but hadn’t yet acknowledged that need.